I was hoping to make it To 200k

Yikes!! Good reminder for us all. Cell phones are not the only distractions. Sometimes it's just life that takes our attention off the multiple tons of hurtling metal zipping around us.

 

Yikes that's nasty that Prius is DONE!!!!

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

I've seen much worse damage fixed on cars with more mileage that did NOT get totalled. My wife's '05 Matrix had 7k of repairs done after it was 8 years old w/ 140k miles on the clock and they still didn't total it. It'll need to get to about 80% of value before they'll total it....and FYI, the vast majority of unibody damage is repairable, despite what some here have said.

 

If they total it, they must give you an amount equal to what you can actually buy a comparable vehicle. E.g. same year and similar mileage/features car.... you can use used car listings as evidence to get the amount you are owed, which should correspond. They cannot pick out a terrible condition lesser-optioned model and use it as an example. But, be prepared to come up with your own examples. With a 10 second online search, I'd recommend pushing for more like $8500-9000 for yours. I wouldn't settle for 7k without pushing it.

 

Good it's resolved. Still, did they do much inspection, or was it just perfunctory, a done deal?

 

Both good and bad, I guess, depending on your goals. We were happy to have our high mileage Matrix fixed, because we didn't want a new car payment. Even after 5 collisions (repaired professionally), that car is still on the road. The new owner just hit 200k with it and drives it daily to work. Fight for the appropriate amount of money. No matter what they offer, they're holding something back, so squeak out a bit more.

 

Excellent point. When my wife's top of the line '05 got wadded up, they lowballed us. I said, "Wait a minute. What about this and that and so on?" They gave me just what I told them it was worth less "depreciation" for the new a/c compressor and evaporator and the brand new Toyota 12V battery.

 

Oh Geez... sounds like Phil Dunphy was so excited to land his first deal that he forgot to look for stop signs (bad Modern Family reference there )

Seriously though, just realize that their insurance company's job is to get rid of you for as little money as possible. I know from recent experience in having my motorcycle totaled (100% fault to other party, like your situation), the figure they offered you is not the max that they will pay you for your car. From your prospective, there should be a few rounds of negotiation. That Prius had a ton of life left in it and it sounds like you had every intention of keeping it for quite a bit longer... don't let them off easy.

Just my $0.02. Glad you are okay!

 

Would it maybe be better to get it fixed? Do you still have that option? Or maybe you can use that question for leverage, and they'll up their write-off amount a bit??

 

Considering the current low resale on Priuses, I'd push for at least $8000 and use that to go buy you a clean used, never-wrecked 3rd Gen. You can get a 2014 or 2015 model for under 19k well equipped. A friend of mine got a new on the lot leftover 2015 with every option for 18k new during November of last year. Not sure how they ended up with a '15 hanging around that long, but the hybrids aren't jumping off the lots right now.

 

I hope you get a good chink of that solar roof option out of them. They like to hope people won't think of that stuff. By the way, you're not that far away from Tampa. Todd has a pretty good selection right now. He has Gen 2, Gen 3, PiP, and Leaf. Listings - Tampa Hybrids Inc.. Most are in your price range.

 

Are you going through your policy or the policy that hit you? .. because your policy should have provided a rental car back to the accident date? And the other company would have payed after they accepted liability?
Go on Edmunds and plug in your information -- use the clean car. That will give you a good idea.

Don't accept a low figure -- if you are unhappy with the next offer .. get a claims manager on the phone.

I keep agreed value on my cars -- so I always go through my company.

 

Sounds like a winner! 40k is hardly broken in. Keep us posted on this C. You'll get even better gas mileage with this one

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.